wade any time soon? >> reporter: carol, you know, justices can only take up the cases that come their way. in other words, through the courts. so the first thing that has to happen is the right case has to come to them, and right now antiabortion activists can do the math. you've got a shaky 5 to 4 conservative majority on the court. it doesn't really inspire confidence that roe would be overturned if the issue were taken up right now. in fact, there's a risk, and that risk is upholding roe in the 21st century would effectively end the debate for decades to come. that's power precedent at the court. instead of attacking roe head on, the opponents have essentially been doing what they've been doing for years, chipping away at its impact. they support some restrictions on abortion that don't go to the heart of the case, things like government funding, parental consent, bans on later term abortions and so on, carol. >> joe johns, reporting live from washington this morning. our next guest is involved in the